garnish English · revision 881

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈɡɑːnɪʃ/ ''(UK)''; /ˈɡɑɹnɪʃ/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|garnishen]], [[bor|fro|garnir|t=to provide, furnish; fortify]] (stem ''garniss-''),^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) of Germanic origin, from [[frk|*warnjan]],^(Etymonline) related to [[goh|warnōn|t=to take heed]] and English [[warn]].^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ To decorate, adorn (about 1380);^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) also in Middle English to fortify a place or arm oneself for battle (before 1400).^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense developed from “arm oneself” to “fit out” to “embellish”.^(Etymonline) The culinary sense, “to decorate a dish for the table”, appears in 1693 and has predominated since about 1700;^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) the noun for such a decoration dates from 1673.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) The older sense of giving warning survives in law: to ''garnish'' is to serve notice of the attachment of a debtor's money or property (before 1577),^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) whence ''garnishee'' and ''garnishment''.^(Barnhart 1995) A ''garnish'' was also money extorted from a new prisoner by jailers or fellow inmates (1592).^(OED 1989)^(AHD)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1380 – verb, to decorate.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1418 – noun, a set of pewter tableware (obsolete).^(OED 1989)

+ * before 1577 – verb, in law, to serve notice of attachment.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1592 – money extorted from a new prisoner.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1673 – noun, a decoration for food.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1693 – verb, to decorate a dish.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To decorate (food or drink) with small savoury or colourful items, such as parsley or lemon slices.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To embellish or adorn.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(law)'' To [[garnishee]]: to seize (a debtor's wages or property) by legal process.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # Something added to food or drink for decoration or flavour.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Ornamentation; embellishment.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(historical)'' A fee extorted from a new prisoner by jailers or other inmates.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(OED 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[garnisher]]

+ * [[garnishee]]

+ * [[garnishment]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[garment]]

+ * [[garniture]]

+ * [[warn]]

+ * [[garrison]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}